The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-11-26
On a Buffalo Hunt.

On q Buffalo Hunt.
Correspondence Of Philadelphia Times.
We came in sight of one herd as day
was breaking, and Immediately gave chase
/ The bison fed before us, we tearing after
4.them ike mad, but in few minutes the
Eerd scattered aud so we selected certain
bunch, which we followed up. had got
ten pretty close upon my quarry, when
whisk-out of sight they went, and in a
moment had followed them. They had
gone over bank into creek so suddenly
that, not observing it, followed close upon
their heels; and there we were, buffaloes
pony and myself, uninjured, but founder
ing and swimming about in deep water
By the time got to the opposite bank and
secured my pony the bufaloes were gone
out of sight, scampering across the prairie
to join the main herd, and my orderly stood
on the bluff behind where we had just
tumbled from, laughing at my predica
ment. He had luckily checked himself
and steed just in time to save both from
following us.
In haitian hour matters were Strengthened
out and we rode to the top of a neighbor
ing knoll to get a view of the surroundings
Our original herd was dim in the distance,
a cloud of dust on the horizon telling where
they were still going at full speed, While
RESPECTFULLY watching them my orderly sud
denly exclaimed
"Look, lieutenant, here comes another
herd across the country and making straight
for us. :"
Casting my eyes in the direction indi-
Gated, sure enough another tremendous
herd was pointing in the direction of our
knoll and coming directly at us like a
thunder cloud. No use to ay, for there
was no place to fly to- One solid black
mass was sweeping towards US like whirl-
wind, and it became necessary for us to do
something, and do it, quickly, too, or have
the life trampled out of us in few min
utes.
"Dismountr' 1 cried; 'sling the bride
over your arm, and, when l give the word,
fire as rapidly as you can
We both dismounted and, drawing our
four revolvers, opened fire on the solid
phalanx at long range. The great drove
of animals were plunging wildly forward,
with their heads down, almost sweeping the
ground, and consequently did not see us.
| Our hope was to attract their attention and
by SO doing to Brighten them aHd endeavor
to THROW them out Of their course. Had
they seen us in the first place they would
probably have halted or turned their course
to one side. As it happened, they kept
madly on until our bullets began to sting
them, when the leaders looked up and,
seeing the strange sight in front of them,
actually paused or attempted to do so, but
1t was at their peril, for the foremost were
Immediately trampled beneath the feet of
the rushing, crushing multitude behind.
The pile of bodies was our salvation, for it
served as an impeachment to thoso in the
rear and together with our rapid FIRE sort
of stampeded the whole outfit. The pile
| became higher and higher as buffalo after
buffalo came rolling on to the heap, aud
this blockade actually caused the tremeu-
dous mass to split and divide, molety 60
ing each side Of It. The center had been
checked, but the wings were still sweeping
by at railroad speed We hurried down to
the pile of carcasses as being our safest
point and stood there watching the sea Of
animals raging and tearing by Ike the
pillows of an angry sea. A hundred yards
or SO further on the wings came together
again, and there we were, in the midst of
that living mass, safe and free from harm.
1t was strange, remarkable sight-one
which l never expect to see on earth again.
NV head turned dizzy with so much motion
all about me, but both myself and the Or
DERBY had sense enough TO blaze away IT,,
cessantly directly in front of us, which had
the effect to throw the successive leaders
| in still more confusion, and no doubt was
the means of saving us from being trampled
to death. After this tremendous herd of
bison, going at about twelve miles an hour,
had passed, which consumed some forty
minutes of time, we found ourselves among
the scattered tail end of the hard. Here
was our chance. Quickly singing out an
animal, l was soon dashing alongside of
him and pumping cold lead into his bosom
from my revolver. My pony, well trained
/ 10 Sucn sport, never ieft HIS sue until Vuc
poor brute staggered in his tracks. When
he rolled over on the prairie in the last
throes of death, singled out another big
fellow and was soon pouring leaden pills
into his shaggy hide also. l had dropped
an even dozen before my little cayuse or |
became winded.
Then looked around for my orderly,
but he was nowhere to be seen. One old
bull took no less than twenty cartridges
before he yielded up the ghost, which
compelled me to reload both revolvers from
horseback while going at tearing pace.
The buffalo dies very hard. Even though
MORALLY wounded, an individual unac-
quainted with its nature, though ever SO
good marksman, is much surprised not to
see him fall at once. One would suppose
that shot about the head or central part
Eof the body would prove fatal, but such is
not the case. To kill bison the ball must
either divide his spine or enter his body
behind the shoulder, few inches above
the brisket, this being the only point
through which the heart or lungs can be
reached. Even with forty-fve ball
through the most vital part | have known
bull to run for half mile before falling,
| .Izs AZ Joafb